NO man likes to have his character taken away. Scripture says, “There is none that doeth good, no, not one.” This is clear, and, received by faith as the word of God, keeps one humble before Him.
Adam and Eve had a character for innocency. They lost it, and got a worse. Do you think that, when the Lord God called unto Adam, Where art thou? that He had come down to find out what character these two had? No! He knew they had fallen, sinned, and were lost. Sin had come in; with it, good character gone, death was to follow. Ignorant, yet they would do something with the vain purpose of showing, possibly, they were not altogether to blame, or at least they would smooth over, hide up, cover, — in other words, do that which all their children have been prone to do ever since. They “sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons,” and then “hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden” (Gen. 3:7, 87And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. 8And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. (Genesis 3:7‑8)). They had lost their character, but still they would endeavor to make out a good case for themselves! “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:2323For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23)). Better to have owned the truth fully about this terrible sin. It is written, “Be sure your sin will find you out” (Num. 32).
God knows you. He knows your character. Before Him, it is a bad one. You may not like this; may murmur, and say, “My neighbors regard me as a just person. I owe no man anything, avoid strife, keep myself respectable, feel concerned for the poor, and help them when I can afford to do so. I do my best, weep over my sins, and always say my prayers.” What is all this but another kind of apron making? You may be an estimable person before men, but are you saved? You have achieved some good works, shed some real tears, and prayed earnestly; but there is not a drop of “blood” in any one of these, and none of them can, by any means, save you, for “without shedding of blood is no remission” (Heb. 9:2222And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. (Hebrews 9:22)). Before God your character is all gone! and He gives you your character in the third chapter of Romans, and again it is a bad one. Yet in His love He proposes to save you; “Christ died for the ungodly” (Rom. 5:66For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. (Romans 5:6)). Own your lost condition; “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:3131And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:31)). But there must be no “aprons,” and no “hiding.” “The Scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:3535If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; (John 10:35)), but it may be received, and it will find you out.
In the Scriptures already alluded to the “hiding” was “from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.” A tree in Scripture is that which speaks to us of the mercies of God, as someone has said; and if so, how does this scene look to the eyes of God? Here are persons hiding themselves behind the very mercies of God, and then found excusing themselves, laying blame on others, or on the mercies they have from God, as in Luke 14 where the invitation to the “great supper” is given, and “they all with one consent began to make excuse”; the invited hide behind some great and special mercy, and say, “I pray thee have me excused.” One gets behind his ground, another behind his oxen, and a third behind his wife, — all great and real mercies; but mark the sin of using these mercies in order to say, “I pray thee have me excused,” or, “I cannot come.” Yet He patiently waits the acceptance of His blessed invitation, “All things are now ready” (Luke 14:1717And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. (Luke 14:17)). A righteous foundation has been laid, on the ground of which your soul may be saved now; a mighty work has been done — God’s own Son has died, the just for the unjust. Come now!
It may be asked, If Scripture plainly says, “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God,” must I not have a good character to come to God with? Surely a servant desiring to go to a new situation on earth must have a good character to go with? God in His Word has declared something, that leaves out every word about your good character or your bad character, which shows He is not looking for either. This is astonishing, but true. He has said, “When I see the blood, I will pass over you” (Ex. 12:1313And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. (Exodus 12:13)). He is now looking for the blood, and not for your character — good, bad, or indifferent! Tarry not to make a good character. In view of all this, Is the blood sprinkled on you? The sprinkling of the blood was the all-important question long ago. It is the solemn question now. Consider seriously; decide in the presence of God, — Are you sheltered by the blood of Christ, or exposed to the rapidly approaching judgment?
Did that mighty angel of the Lord, with his bright and glittering sword, stop, at that memorable midnight hour of old, to inquire as to the character of those to whom he came? There was no need, He knew their character, and God knows yours. The angel knew what to look for — the blood! God watches intently to see who flees for refuge to it, and says plainly, “When I see the blood, I will pass over you.”
Some say, I thought I ought to be good, or Christ would not receive me.” This is very natural, but wrong. Is it a question of being received? Look at David in the cave of Adullam (1 Sam. 22). What were the characters of those whom he received? In debt―discontented — broken away from their masters — no good characters spoken of. Notwithstanding all this, they gathered round David, and in their recorded histories you will find they all made their characters afterwards, and when the kingdom came took their places as mighty men, and their every deed recorded and rewarded. David received them. Christ waits for you to receive Him; for “as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name” (John 1:1212But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: (John 1:12)).
To sum up. It has been pointed out that man’s character is all gone — but Jesus died for sinners, the ungodly. He receives all who come unto God by Him. The blood is sprinkled on all such, and becomes the righteous reason for eternal blessing to all who are under its shelter.
When there, you have to make your character, and this is expressed in that word, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil. 2:1212Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. (Philippians 2:12)); not work for salvation, but from salvation, in making your character before God and man; and remember, in doing so, all will be registered up there, and when Jesus comes you will get place and honor in His kingdom, and will shine to His glory. His own precious words are, Behold I come quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be” (Rev. 22:1212And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. (Revelation 22:12)). H. R. F.